All That You Can't Leave Behind  a short play
by collidingdreams
Summary: This story, sharing a lot of the themes from Glee, encompasses many Glee songs and puts it together in a few new situations. I hope you enjoy this 5-part play!


All That You Can't Leave Behind _

-a short play

[Scene: Friday. Music class, right before lunch. The music room is semi-circular with steps, every other containing desks. The teacher, Mrs. E, is sitting at her desk and students are filing in. In the bottom of the rows, on the ground, there is a microphone standing by itself.]

Haley: (Haley_ is a student. She turns towards her friends, _Brooke, Jenna _and_ Laura) Why is there a microphone here?

Brooke: (_Trying to finish the math homework due today._) Maybe someone's going to play something, or give a speech, or sing?

Jenna: (_squeals_) How cool would it be if Justin Bieber came?

Laura: (_shaking her head_) Will you not get over him? He's so gay…

Jenna: Is not!

[The bell rings. Everyone gets in his or her seat. Some people shift in their chairs and there are a few coughs. Once everything is quiet, Mrs. E makes some clicks on her computer to submit attendance. She then rises and goes to the center of the room and stands by the microphone.]

Mrs. E: (_enthusiastically_) Good morning class!

Class: (_halfheartedly_) Good morning, Mrs. E.

Mrs. E: Since we have been doing those boring theory packets for over a week, today I have something different…something special.

Sully: Whoo-hoo!

[The rest of the class, including Mrs. E, glare at Sully annoyingly.]

Mrs. E: Anyways, our very own Hannah Taylor has decided that she would like to perform a piece for us. Hannah, would you like to come down?

Brooke: (_To _Haley_, in a whisper._) Ha! Told you.

[The class looks to the bottom row where Hannah gets up and walks toward Mrs. E. She is wearing a light green dress with a white cardigan on top. She is wearing heels so she looks really tall. Her straight, shoulder-length chestnut brown hair falls just below her shoulders. She smiles to the class.]

Jenna: _(Looking almost disgusted and surprised at the same time.) _She's going to sing? I'd like to see this.

Laura: You are going to see this.

Jenna: Oh, hush up.

Tyler: (_He is a boy who sits in the row above the girls. He looks down at them and smirks._) This is going to be hilarious.

Trevor: (_A friend of _Tyler'_s who is sitting next to him_) Oops. I forgot to bring my camera. (_He laughs at his own pathetic joke and _Tyler _high-fives him._)

Mrs. E: I want you to pay your full respects to her. (_She looks around the room and eyes all of her students, but especially glares at _Tyler, Trevor _and the girls sitting below them_.)

Luke: (_He is a student sitting towards the center of the room along with his friends _Carson, Conor, Lucas _and _Zach.) Hannah's going to sing? She's barely talked all year.

Carson: Maybe she overcame her shyness?

Zach: (_Laughing._) How funny would it be if she sang a "Disturbed" song? (_The other's laugh a little._)

Conor: That would be epic.

Lucas: I don't believe that's her personality.

Zach: Oh, Lucas. Since when did you become a psychologist? (Lucas_ shakes his head smiling._)

[Mrs. E and Hannah are preparing the room for Hannah's performance. While Hannah sets the microphone, Mrs. E is practicing the piano which she'll play when Hannah sings.]

Sarah: (_She is a girl who sits at the very end of the third row. She says to her friends, _Alexis _and _Allie _who are sitting by her_.) I bet I can sing better than her. She's not even in choir. (_Her tone is very arrogant._)

Alexis: (_Replying nicely._) You haven't even heard her sing yet.

Allie: (_Agreeing._) Yeah. Then how do you know?

Sarah: I just do.

Hannah: Umm…hi, everyone.

Class: Hi.

Haley: (_Sarcastically._) Well, hello there, Miss Obvious.

Hannah: (_Her voice is a little quaky._) So I'm going to sing a song called _Total Eclipse of the Heart. _It was originally sung by Bonnie Tyler. Umm, and um I think Mrs. E selected three of you to have a little part in the beginning. It's supposed to be extra credit…

Mrs. E: (_Nodding from the piano._) Yes. I have selected three of you, the lyrics you have to sing are highlighted on a piece of paper in front of you. (_We hear two consecutive grunts from the class._) And just so everyone knows, it's Liam, Trevor and Carson. In that order.

Carson: (_In a terrified voice._) Oh dear God.

Trevor: (Tyler_ is laughing at him._) Are you kidding me? Mrs. E, this is pure torture. Torture. Why? Wait, if this was her (_he points to _Hannah) idea, I'm not gonna hear this.

Mrs. E: Calm down. It was mine. It's extra credit, but mostly, I did it because I felt like embarrassing you. (_She laughs._)

[Liam is the only one who doesn't protest. He is sitting at the very top right-hand corner, looking crucially at his lyrics.]

Mrs. E: Ok. Hannah. Ready? (Hannah_ nods._ Mrs. E _begins playing the intro to the song._ _At just the right time, Liam comes in with his part._)

[Note: This is where the song, _Total Eclipse of the Heart, Glee Cast Version _should be played to the reader/listener.]

Liam: _"Turn around."_

Hannah: (_Looking at _Liam.)_"Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming round."_

Trevor: (_In a voice that surprised everyone because it's unexpectedly good, but not as good as _Liam'_s._) _"Turn around."_

Hannah: (_Looking at _Trevor.)_"Every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of my tears."_

Carson: (_In a deep voice, compared to the other two._) _"Turn around…"_

Hannah: (_Looking at _Carson.) _"Every now and then I get a little bit nervous that the best of all the years have gone by…" _(_She continues to sing, but in a part where she thought she was singing by herself, another voice accompanies hers…_)

Liam: _"Turn around, bright eyes."_

Hannah: (_Shocked, but continues to sing with a smile on her face._)

[Hanna sings looking only at Liam. Liam is smiling at her, but Hannah realizes that there are others in the room and starts looking at the audience as a whole. Liam is looking at Hannah with a look of total affection. Everyone is shocked, but the chemistry between them is almost tangible in the room. There is a short period of the song where there are no lyrics. Hannah stares at her shoes while Liam looks at her, smiling. Classmates talk amongst each other.]

Alexis: (_To _Sarah.) She's has an amazing voice.

Allie: Yeah, she's really, really good.

Sarah: (_Aggravated._) Will you two just freaking shut up?

Brooke: (_Stunned._) Hey, can you see the way Liam's looking at her?

Jenna: (_Gasps._) It's almost as if…

Laura: …there is no way…

Haley: He's in love with her…

{ }

Conor: Dude, she's good. (_His friends nod._)

[The interlude ends and Hannah begins singing again and so does Liam. By the end chorus of the song, Hannah is only singing with Liam. The class is staring at them singing to each other. Mrs. E smiles to herself as she plays the piano.]

Luke: (_Awed._) And so is Liam…

Carson: You know, he never seemed like the type.

Lucas: Why, did he only pass as the quarterback? The star of the football team and nothing more?

Zach: Yep, that's exactly it. (Lucas _sighs._) And this Hannah chick…how come we've never heard her before? (_They all shrug their shoulders_.)

[The song ends and the class politely applauds. Shortly after the bell rings.]

Mrs. E: Good job, Hannah! I'm gonna go run out for some coffee, you can stay after and gather your things, 'kay?

Hannah: (_Smiling._) Yeah. Thank you so much, Mrs. E. (Mrs. E _smiles back and exits the room_.)

[The class exits, totally awed by the entire performance and mostly, the surprise, all of sudden chemistry between Liam and Hannah. As everyone quickly exits, Hannah cleans up some papers around the microphone. Liam is slowly cleaning up his binder and papers. As he is, he eyes Hannah. Obviously he is stalling so he can talk to her alone. The last to exit the room are Haley, Brooke, Laura and Jenna. They purposely close the door behind them. They look through the window on the door for a while, but get bored and hungry, so they leave for lunch. When they are alone, Liam comes down from his desk at the top row.]

Liam: (_Looking at _Hannah _who is still fixing her papers._) You were…simply…amazing.

Hannah: (_Laughs_.) Before you start complimenting people, I think you should compliment yourself first. You were simply amazing, too.

Liam: Well, I just sang my part.

Hannah: No, (_she smiles_) you sang way past your highlighted lines.

Liam: (_Grins._) What can I say? (_Suddenly a bit more serious_.) I really felt like I had to. I just felt like it would complete the song. I don't know, it's stupid. (_Hannah shakes her head, implying it's not stupid._)

[Hannah walks over with her stack of papers to the back of the music room by the guitars. There is a small area of countertop. Her backpack sits there. She takes off her heels.]

Hannah: Look. I was taller than you, but now I'm just a little bit shorter.

Liam: The magic of heels.

[Hannah puts the heels in her backpack and pulls out a pair of green flats. She places her backpack on the ground and sits on the counter. Liam stands in front of her as she tries to put on her shoes.]

Liam: I'm _really_ glad Mrs. E chose me to be one of the "volunteers". (_He smiles_. _He then gets up and sits next to her on the counter. _Hannah _finishes putting on her second shoe and brushes her hands off._)

Hannah: (_She begins to say…_) Well, I'm reall_

[Hannah is cut off because Liam turns and kisses her.]

Liam: (_After_.) I'm hungry. (_He walks towards the microphone. _Hannah _grabs her backpack and follows him_.)

Liam: (_Pointing towards the microphone_.) Maybe we should do this again sometime?

Hannah: Hmm…what do you think?

Liam: Saturday?

Hannah: (_At the same time_.) Tomorrow?

Liam: (_Laughing_.) Well, that's the same thing.

Liam: How about at 7?  
>Hannah: (<em>Again, at the same time as <em>Liam.) 8?

Liam: (_Laughing._) How does 7:30 sound?  
>Hannah: Perfect.<p>

[Hannah and Liam exit the music room talking. They head into the lunchroom, which is just in front of the music room. As Liam walks towards the cafeteria to get his food, he hears his name being called.]

Voice: Crawford!

[Hannah and Liam both turn around to see where the voice came from. It is from Nick, one of the football players and Liam's friend. The table where Nick is sitting is filled with the jocks and cheerleaders_ the "popular" people of their school. Haley, Brooke, Jenna and Laura are sitting at the table staring at Hannah.]

Liam: (_Looking awkwardly between _Nick _and _Hannah_._ _He whispers_.) I'll see you tomorrow 'kay?

Hannah: (_Smiling awkwardly._) Yeah, bye.

[Hannah walks, almost runs, towards the bathroom. When she arrives, there is no one there. She walks into the large, handicap stall, slams the door shut, and locks it. She leans against the wall, tears streaming down her face. She slides down the wall, sobbing with the chatter of the lunchroom as just background noise.]


End file.
